Half a world away, out of the sight of even the most detailed American basketball observer, a Nuggets prospect is making waves and creating some excitement for a franchise looking to turn things around next season.

Joffrey Lauvergne, 22, is looking like a keeper, playing in Serbia. Selected with the 55th pick in last year’s NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and traded to the Nuggets on draft night, the 6-foot-11 power forward and center is turning heads — quickly and impressively.

“We thought he’d make a big jump,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. “We’re lucky to see that the jump was so dramatic and he’s competing at the highest level and he’s doing really well. He’s a good player. We really like his intensity. We like his focus. We like that he doesn’t take plays off and how tough he is.”

And with a nice touch that reaches out to 3-point range, he has the tools to become a nice “stretch-four” for a Nuggets team that could use that kind of versatility in its frontcourt. The Nuggets hope to have the native of France in uniform at summer league this July.

For a team looking to change the equation a bit after the season, certainly in the areas of focus, energy and consistent intensity, Lauvergne’s play has been encouraging. He’s averaging 11.2 points and a Euroleague-leading 8.8 rebounds for Partizan NIS Belgrade and is generally proving to be one of the better players in the league.

One of Lauvergne’s best friends is Nuggets guard Evan Fournier.

“The thing is in France, coaches don’t play young guys for some reason,” Fournier said. “I had a hard time playing my first year. So he was playing like 15 minutes (a game) overseas. Then he went to Partizan, the coach played him and he showed what he could do. I knew he was that good. He’s just got to show it. There’s a difference between knowing it and showing it.”

Lauvergne’s athleticism stands out. He runs the court well and finishes with dunks on the break. On the block, he shows the ability to make power moves into a dunk. He’s good in pick-and-roll situations, will dunk going to the rim and can catch and shoot. Defensively, he works hard, though he needs polish. As for rebounding, he’ll find that in the NBA he’ll need to put more body on his opponent to box out. But those who know him and his game best say he has got no problem being physical.

Fournier said Lauvergne’s “fight” is notable.

“He’s going to try to hurt you. He’s going to bully you,” Fournier said. “I love to play with him, because I know he’s going to be in the fight 100 percent.”

Connelly agrees.

“Really intense kid,” Connelly said. “He’s made huge strides the last couple of years playing at Partizan. Physical. Good feel for the game. Really an aggressive kid. We really liked him in the draft. He’s a unique guy.”

Spotlight on Nikola Pekovic: After missing the entire month of February with an injured ankle, Timberwolves center Pekovic returned to the lineup Saturday night and virtually picked up right where he left off. He scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the T-wolves’ win over Sacramento. He’s one of the most underrated centers in the NBA.

NOTEBOOK

Nuggets: The Nuggets got Wilson Chandler back against Portland, and he began to find some of his offense again, scoring 14 points. It was Chandler’s first double-digit scoring effort since scoring 15 points against Milwaukee on Feb. 20. … Darrell Arthur (hip) went 6-for-7 from the field in his first game back after missing three games.

Timberwolves: Minnesota enjoyed the return of guard Kevin Martin in its last game, Saturday at Sacramento. Martin had missed the previous seven games with a thumb injury, and he scored 26 points in his return. … The Timberwolves have lost their last two games to the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

Five games into the season, second-year Avalanche forward J.T. Compher suffered a concussion, suddenly putting a halt to a campaign with so much promise. The former University of Michigan captain missed 16 games from Oct. 16 to Nov. 21, returning the day after Thanksgiving with a two-goal performance at Arizona in which he scored shorthanded -- twice -- on the...